State of the Art and Prospects for Studies of Structure Formation in Extraction Systems with Metal Compounds

The state of the art of studies in the field of structure formation in extraction systems with metal compounds is considered. Structure formation occurs due to both the formation of coordination polymers and solid-phase particles composing precipitates and gels, which in turn may stabilize emulsions, and the association of amphiphilic molecules with the formation of micellae, microemulsions, and lyotropic liquid crystals. Some examples of structure formation near the interface between the aqueous and organic phases and in the volume of one of the liquid phases are described. Promising fields for using structure formation in extraction systems to develop new technologies and improve existing technologies, such as the processes of extraction with the use of reverse micelles or microemulsions, the leaching of metals with the use of extragent-containing microemulsions, the extraction of metals with the use of direct micelles, and the synthesis of nanoparticles in extraction systems, are considered.